


As it should have been

by Craziichas



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Caitlin Snow is Killer Frost, F/M, SnowBarry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-09-24 08:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17097092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Craziichas/pseuds/Craziichas
Summary: So basically a rewrite of season 4. Moving things around and since it's pretty different, I'm saying it's AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything. Also I am not an west Allen fan so...deal with it. :)

His time in the speedforce left him changed in ways that he could really explain to his friends or family. While he was happy to be back, his outlook on life in general was vastly different. He was ready for whatever may come, he was faster then he'd ever been but things weren't the same as when he left. 

His fiancé wasn't happy he left her, his team was broken and he could say that only one of those things was his actual fault. Things with Iris hadn't been good since he got back, she helped him come back from wherever he was in his head but at risk of her own life. Something he couldn't understand, he had speed healing but she didn't. She could have died, if the Samurai wasn't actually a robot. 

He walked into STAR labs, smiling at seeing Caitlin still there, but working in her lab. Cisco told him that she had left, and he was still worried about her. Barry knew that things had been hard for all of them. Caitlin only went to Savitar because he wasn't there for her when she needed him the most. She was his best friend and he'd abandoned her because of Iris. 

He was pretty sure he'd never forgive himself for that but he hoped that with time she'd let him be her best friend again, that he could make it up to her. He sat on one of the chairs in the cortex only to hear the tell-tale sound of Iris walking in. He turned to see her walk up to what used to be Cisco's seat and sit down. 

"You know you don't need to keep coming here now that I'm back," he said just as Cisco walked in and Caitlin got up to join them. 

"I'm the team leader Barry. I have a job to do," she said with a bit of a huff. She knew that he'd stayed at STAR labs all night and she didn't like the distance between them. 

"Why are you the team leader though? I left Cisco in charge," he sighed. 

"Dude have you met this woman? She gets what she wants," Cisco grumbled and sat down next to Iris. 

Barry just rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going to train," he said. 

"That's not scheduled until later Barry. You need to patrol the city." she said taking a sip of coffee. 

Barry just stood there and stared at the woman that he'd proposed to and wondered who the hell she was. She certainly wasn't his best friend, or the woman he fell in love with. 

"I'm back, the actual team leader seeing as  _ I'm _ the Flash and all. So  _ I'm _ going to go train when  _ I _ want," he walked off and went to the speed lab. 

Cisco tried to contain a snicker and hearing Barry stand up to Iris for once, Iris took a deep breath and tried to just let it go but Caitlin went after Barry to make sure he was okay. 

The time she spent away from everyone was difficult on her. She had hurt her friends. Betrayed them and still Cisco asked for her help. To get Barry back. Barry and Cisco were the only reasons she came back. She didn't really expect Iris to have taken such an important role away from Cisco and he was good at hiding how it was effecting him. 

She would be lying if she said she wasn't shocked that Barry stood up to Iris. She had a way of taking up Barry's time and attention so that everyone else didn't matter. She missed Barry but expected things to be the same, they'd be together again and all that was meant to be would be again. But here he was doing something she didn't think he'd do. The tension between them was thick and she knew that Iris wasn't happy that Barry left, though Caitlin understood why he did. 

She found him sitting in the speed lab, not training at all but holding his head in his hands and looking down. 

"Are you okay?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"I don't know Cait," he said as he lifted his head. She put an arm around him and he leaned into her slightly. She somehow always knew how to make him feel better. 

"Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you then?

"Everything. I came out of the speedforce a little crazy, but I'm back now and while I feel like I'm not holding myself back regarding my speed everything else is just shit. I let you down, I let everyone down. Iris feels abandoned. And I can't apologize for saving Central City. I can't but that's what she wants. She wants me to tell her some crap about how we are meant to be and say I'm sorry for leaving her and how can I be sorry for saving everyone?" he lifts his head up not realizing just how close they were. 

Caitlin held her breath for the moment that they sat there, he was close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. The Meta alarm jolted them apart but Barry didn't get up right away. 

"You don't have to apologize Barry. You just have to figure out what's important and either she'll understand or she won't. But you'll always have us," she said finally and that seemed to be enough because off he went to save the day again. 

* * *

 

Caitlin came back to the cortex some time later with Iris and Cisco still in the spots she left them. 

"Barry you need.." Iris started, used to having to tell Wally what to do. 

"I know what to do Iris," he cut her off. "Cisco do you have eyes on the building? I can't see anyone but people are running and screaming."

"On it," Cisco said as he started giving Barry what he needed. 

Caitlin moved back into her lab, staying in the cortex with Iris around always ended up with Iris making a comment that left Caitlin fighting to keep Frost back. She'd told Cisco that Frost was gone, but the truth was that she wasn't gone at all. She was still there, always waiting for her moment to come out. They'd come to some kind of understanding but it was hard to communicate with each other. 

"You and Barry were gone long," Iris said, having decided that it was better to stop trying to help Barry. 

"He just needed an ear. We are friends after all," Caitlin said trying to focus on the computer in front of her. 

"Are you though?" Iris said in her usual snotty tone before she turned and left. Caitlin closed her eyes and held her hands in fists to keep Frost back. 

Barry caught the meta and found Caitlin. He could see the frost coming off of her hands and turned back to see that no one else had noticed her yet. Iris was back in her seat and Cisco was off working on something else. 

"Cait?" he walked over slowly. "What happened?" 

"Your fiancé happened," she snapped before standing up and turning to face him. She was still her, the frost was gone but her face looked sad. 

"Frost isn't gone is she?" he asked softly. Caitlin could only shake her head . 

"Okay. Well maybe it's time we accepted her hmm?" He reached out for her and before he could really think she went full Frost on him but hugged him. He held onto her even as Cisco started freaking out and Iris was yelling to get away from her as they walked into the room

He wasn't going to make the same mistake as before. Caitlin and Frost were the same person, they may be different but he would love them both because he loved Caitlin and if he could love Frost, the others could get used to her too. 

"I'm not going to lose Cait again because we pushed Frost away," he said to the others. Cisco nodded, understanding what Barry was saying. He knew that he'd let Cait down too. Iris however wasn't interested in keeping Cait or Frost. She wanted them both gone. 

"She's too dangerous Barry. Let's put her in the pipeline and figure out what to do next," she said softly. Barry didn't let go of Frost but he turned his head to Iris. 

"No." He pulled back from Frost to see she was Cait again and he grinned at her. 

"She's...she's happy. Thank you Barry," Cait said and smiled at her friend. His hands were still holding onto her arms as Iris grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room and away from his friends. Joe walked in and looked at Barry and Iris with a smile until he saw their faces. 

"Is everything okay?" he asked as he moved further into the cortex. 

"No dad it's not. Barry decided that it was okay that Caitlin lied to us about Killer Frost being gone and wants to just accept her like she didn't almost kill us all!" Iris yelled. 

"She was scared that you'd react like this if she told everyone. The entire time we were dealing with Savitar our friend was fighting her own demons and we couldn't be bothered to care. I couldn't be bothered because I was too busy trying to save you!" he yelled back. 

"Woah woah, let's calm down you two," Joe said stepping between them. 

"I'm sorry that saving the love of your life hurt poor little Caitlin. But she chose to hide that she had powers in the first place! How is it our fault that we didn't know?" Iris stepped back and put her hands on her hips. 

"Because Iris. She's been here since the beginning and she's saved me more times than I can count. She's my best friend and she was hurting and I should have noticed!" he said before he speed out of the Cortex leaving everyone stunned.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry starts to question if Iris is the right person for him, while new meta's start coming out to terrorize Central City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments so far! Keep them coming and I hope you enjoy. Also I don't own anything it's all the CW.

Barry just ran, he knew that he couldn't run away forever, that his friends would need him to go back but he couldn't stand to be there with Iris. He has spent so much time pining after her, longing for her that he wondered if maybe he was always in love with the idea of her. She didn't look at him the way she used to look at Eddie, that much he knew. She didn't fawn over him like she did with Eddie either. He wondered if she even really loved him or if all of this was simply because a newspaper from the future said they were going to get married. He didn't like the idea that he'd let something like that rule his choices and for the longest time she was his choice. But was he hers? Was she with him because she wanted him, loved him, or was she with him because she settled on the fact that that's what is 'supposed' to happen. 

He knew better than anyone that the future could be changed, that it wasn't always set in stone but he had been so in love with her that he was happy she'd even think that he was someone she wanted. It didn't help that the fear of losing her, of Savitar killing her, loomed over him. He jumped into their engagement in a hope to save her, not because he wanted to rush into marrying her but because she had been a part of his life so long, that he couldn't bare to lose her like that. He knew it wasn't right, even she knew, but he persisted and he convinced her that this was what he wanted. Now after everything that happened, he wasn't sure that was true anymore. 

He sped back to STAR labs, changing out of his suit, to find that Iris and Joe were gone. Cisco was sitting in his old spot again and Caitlin was beside him, he couldn't help but smiling. Feeling like it was old times, now he just need a Harrison Wells to make things feel right. 

"Hey guys," he said as he sat on one of the chairs in the cortex. "I'm sorry about earlier. Leaving like that." He felt bad, he didn't know if Iris said anything to Caitlin or Cisco. 

"It's fine Barry," Caitlin said with a soft smile. She couldn't recall a time when she felt more at peace with Frost and it was all because of Barry. She knew that she forgave him in that moment for everything that happened last year. "They left not long after you did. We are just keeping an eye out for anything. You should probably head to work before Singh has a reason to yell at you." She laughed and took a small sip from her coffee. 

"Crap. Yeah. Thanks Cait," he said with a grin before he sped out, leaving Caitlin and Cisco alone once again. 

They had spent most of the time that everyone had left to talk about things. She confessed that while she was gone she had worked for a meta named Amunet who owned a meta bar in town and was kind of a nasty piece of work. She told him how part of why she did it was because Frost needed something to focus on. She cared a lot for Savitar in her own way. Caitlin understood why, he had Barry's face, and despite her coldness Frost trusted Barry. Today showed that he cared far more than she knew and it was nice to be able to unload the last six months on him only to have him hug her. She knew she needed to tell Barry to, and she would, but she felt that he had bigger things to worry about. Like his impending marriage. 

"Barry seems different right?" Cisco asked after Barry had left again. "I mean besides not letting Iris walk all over him. Which is amazing right? But besides that he just seems...lighter? Like he doesn't feel the burden of being the Flash or something. I dunno." Cisco missed his friend, they had a hard year dealing with Savitar, with Killer Frost, with Iris' impending death, with HR, with all of it. But most of all he missed Barry's laugh and his sense of humor. They didn't go out anymore, they didn't have fun anymore and Cisco missed that. Things just seemed so heavy for so long that he wanted to fix it somehow but he didn't know what was the right way. 

"He's definitely different. He said he doesn't feel like he's holding himself back anymore, he's certainly faster. Whatever is going on, I think it's better, don't you?" she looked over at her friend who only smiled and nodded his head. 

"We should all go out. OG Team Flash! What do you think?" he said putting his hands up in the air and grinning. 

"I say. Let's do it," she grinned back, even laughing a little. 

* * *

 

Barry was happy that Singh had let him come back to work, but things seemed as normal as he could imagine them being. Julian had left and Barry felt slightly bad about all the time they spent hating each other. He understood why he wanted to go though, so he didn't put too much thought into it. He was working on several cases that had backed up while he was gone when he heard the door to his lab open and there stood his wife. She looked sad and her hands were clasped together tightly as she walked in, not waiting for him to say anything. He stood up a little straighter and crossed his arms over this chest. There wasn't much that she could say that would make anything better but she was family at the very least, even if he was starting to see that he wasn't really in love with her anymore. 

"Barr, can we talk?" she asked softly. She had on a voice he'd heard before. One that she'd used on plenty of people, it was one that he thought was cute for the longest time but not today. 

"What do you want Iris? I'm pretty busy here," he said with a sigh. 

"I just..I love you Barry. I don't want this to come between us. I forgive you for leaving, and for accepting Killer Frost. I just want my Barry back," she took a step closer to him but her words had him putting his arms up to stop her. Barry had spent six months reliving things that had already happened, seeing things that hadn't happened yet. It was a constant loop showing him mistake after mistake. Every time he rushed into something without thinking, every time he pushed one person away for another, every time he got someone hurt but he put his wants and needs before everyone else. Flashpoint happened because he was selfish and it caused so much pain for the people dear to him. But going into the speedforce, knowing that he could save everyone in the city, knowing that he'd probably be stuck there forever but at least his family and friends could keep on living, was worth it. He didn't need forgiveness for that. He didn't need forgiveness for supporting his friend for once. For putting her before Iris, for once. That was the right thing to do. 

"You forgive me?" he said. "Seriously. You think I need you to forgive me? For saving you and everyone else. For being there for my friend for once. For choosing to think about everyone else instead of you or me? I don't need you to forgive me Iris because I haven't done anything wrong." He shook his head and turned around to sit back at his desk to continue working. 

"You left me. We were supposed to have been married already, we were supposed to have a life together and you left me. So yes you did do something wrong Barry," her voice was raising and he was glad that the door to his lab was closed. 

"If I had stayed for you, if I had forced Jay back in there in my place, where he didn't deserve to be to begin with...I'd have resented you for it. I would have spent the time I was gone sick to my stomach that I could have done the right thing, but you made me do what you wanted. I hate to break it to you Iris but my world doesn't revolve around you." He stood up slamming his hands on his desk and leaning over it. 

"I.." Iris jumped at the sound and backed up a little. 

"I'm the Flash. I have been the Flash before you even know I was. I have saved people every day and put others first and do you know what I realized today Iris. That you...you only put yourself first. You want me because that paper said 'Iris West-Allen' on it. You aren't with me because you love me like that. You are with me because you think you have to be. So do yourself a favor and just go. Leave the ring at the apartment and let's just move the hell on," he sank back into his seat and looked at her, pleading for her to just stop this. Admit the truth. 

"Barry.... _We_ are the Flash. Barry and Iris. We are meant to be. I just didn't realize it before, but I love you Barry. I want you," she walked over to him and tried to reach out. 

"You know I spent so many years loving you Iris. Wishing you'd look at me as more than a friend," he moved his seat out of her reach. "You never look at me like you did him. I'm not stupid, I may have been blind but I'm not stupid Iris. So please, face the fact that I'm not Eddie. And he's the only man you'll ever really love. A newspaper from the future doesn't mean we are meant to be. And _we_ are definitely not the Flash. That's _me_ , it's always been me and it will always be me. Alone."

Iris just stood there, not really knowing what to say. A part of her knew that he was right, that she felt that she was supposed to choose Barry because of that paper. It said so, so it had to be true right? If Eddie were still here, that paper would mean nothing, just like it did when he was still alive. She didn't say anything else to Barry, there wasn't anything to say. She turned and walked out of the lab knowing that he was right. 

Barry watched Iris go but refused to do anything to stop her. Joe passed by his daughter, who clearly was crying but just shook her head as she passed, to come into the lab. 

"Everything okay in here?" he asked slightly confused. 

"Iris and I are over Joe," he said with a sigh. "I think we've been over for awhile now, just neither one of us were willing to admit it." He rubbed his face before trying to focus back on his work. 

"I came here because we got a dead body and it's pretty rough. I called Cisco to help, guy was trapped in an elevator and it's not pretty but he's the only tech guy I know and apparently the elevator is basically a computer. Or something. I don't know, I'm too old for this.." he said with a little chuckle. 

"Yeah okay, let's go," Barry grabbed his kit and followed Joe to the crime scene.  He tried not to think about Iris, or about the fact that he wasn't getting married anymore and he probably should find a different place to live. The loft is nice but it was their space and it would be weird to still live there. He, of course, wasn't paying attention as he was lost in thought and ran into the back of Joe. 

"Sorry," he muttered as he moved around him to take a look at the scene. Oh Cisco is not going to like this one at all. 

* * *

 

He arrived as STAR labs after he'd collected all the evidence and ran all the tests there he could. He walked in to an empty cortex. He wondered where they were, Cisco had left before him and he was sure that Caitlin would be here. He hoped anyway. He wanted to talk to her, make sure that her and Frost were doing okay. He didn't want to neglect her or put anyone else before her again. 

"Guys?" he called out before he sped through the building to look for his friends. He wasn't expecting to find them in the time vault, looking at the newspaper that he wished would just go away already. "What are you two doing in here?" He asked as he stepped between them to look at the paper closer. 

"It's changed Barry," Cait whispers as she stares at the name, Iris West. No West-Allen anymore. He looked over at Cisco who looked back over at him. 

"Dude. Do you know what we've never done?" he said leaving Barry to only shrug. "We've never actually read the article. We see the headline, we focused on the byline, but we never read what happens to make you disappear in the first place." 

Barry realized that, they didn't really thing to do that, or maybe they never really had the time? He wasn't sure but maybe they could get some insight into this, understand what happens when he's supposed to disappear so that they can be prepared for it. 

"Wait. Cisco. We shouldn't read this. Won't that have paradox written all over it? I mean we aren't supposed to know about this at all," Cait said worriedly. 

"True, okay so let's save that for another day. Today, we have a meta that can control technology and from what he did to the dude in the elevator...I'd say he's pretty pissed off," he clapped Barry on the shoulder and walked out of the time vault. 

"Why were you guys in here?" Barry asks her. She's the only one left but when he looks over, she is not Cait. She is Frost. 

"I was hiding in here. I hit a button, anyway. I see you dropped the missus to be," she spoke with her usual attitude only it seemed more playful than angry. 

"How are you?" he asks, avoiding the topic all together. 

"I'm better handsome. Thanks to you," she said as she took his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry that I'm the reason Caity betrayed you." 

"I'm sorry that I cared more about saving Iris from dying than making sure that my best friend was okay and helping helping her," he leaned his head on top of hers and gave her hand a squeeze. Things weren't going to get any easier, somehow he had a feeling that things were just going to get worse, but at least he had his team back. At least he had Cait. 

"Guys stop flirting and get out here! We got work to do!!" Cisco yelled causing Barry and Frost to move apart. She let Cait come back in control and Barry was still holding her hand. 

"You know," he said as they walked out to help Cisco. "Maybe there is a way that you two could merge together and be one person. Instead of having to be two halves, what if you could be whole? I mean the serum you wanted to take was to get rid of her but I think you should try and bond with her." He gave her hand a squeeze before he let it go as they entered the cortex again. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing major, iris isn't taking the break up easily and Harry returns!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything. Cw does. I hope you all like this chapter, nothing major happens but we get some more snowbarry moments so yay!!

Caitlin had taken Barry’s words to heart and decided to see if there was a way to merge her and Frost together. If not, that was okay too, but at least they both would know that she tried. She had a feeling that Frost still felt hurt about her trying to get rid of her all together. Despite everything Frost was a part of her and she agreed with Barry that it was time she started accepting that instead of running away from it. Caitlin hadn’t spent much time with Cisco or Barry, but in her lab. She didn’t really pay much attention to what was happening around her for the most part they both had made sure to leave her alone. She was grateful however there was a bit of a commotion happening in the cortex that pulled her attention away from her computer. 

Wally was standing with Iris with flowers, waiting to see Jesse who was supposed to come visit. She didn’t really understand how two people could date when they were literally worlds apart but she couldn’t deny that he looked so happy. Barry smiled over at her as she walked in and she smiled brightly back, she didn’t miss the glare that Iris threw at her though. She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. Caitlin didn’t understand why Iris was even there since Barry told her and Cisco that they broke up. 

“Come on, we are all going to the Breach room to welcome Jesse,” Barry said, his hand on her shoulder causing her to look back up at him. She just nodded as Iris grabbed his arm and pulled him along. She couldn’t help but smirk as he pulled his arm out of her grasp and muttered something before falling back to walk with Caitlin. “You okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” she said softly back. She looked at him and then at Iris who kept looking back at them. “Why is she here?”

“Apparently she thinks that if she is around I’ll realize I made a mistake? I don’t know. She’s…stubborn,” he said with a shrug. She hadn’t left his mother’s ring or even moved out, he wasn’t sure which was more irritating. “If she’s bothering you, I’ll tell her to leave though.” He was serious, he didn’t want Cait to ever the feel the way she did before and he was prepared to do whatever he needed to make sure that didn’t happen. 

“No no. I’m fine,” she said with a smile. She wasn’t expecting that from him. She was used to the way things had been before and it was surprising but also wonderful that he’d do something like that for her. 

“Come on Barry. You don’t want to miss Jesse do you?” Iris said with a smile. Barry just sighed and shook his head. 

They all walked into the Breach room just in time for the breach to open but instead of Jesse, it was Harry that came out. He had a large back slung over his shoulder and he was holding a weird box in his hands. They were all confused and Wally stood there, holding those flowers, slowly realizing that he was being dumped. Harry tried to lighten the blow but frankly he was doing a really bad job of it. Iris was trying to hold Barry’s hand and Barry finally had to step down and stand closer to Caitlin. 

“So are you staying Harry?” Barry asked finally. 

“Yes,” Harry said and left the Breach room. “So what’s the deal with you two?” He pointed between Barry and Iris. 

“We broke up,” Barry said. 

“We are fine,” Iris said at the same time. Barry turned at just looked at her. 

“Oookay, so what have I missed?” Harry said looking around at everyone. Cisco clapped his back and took him along to tell him about everything he missed while he was away. Everyone else left the room, leaving only Iris and Barry. 

“What are you doing Iris?” he turned and looked at her. She put her arms over his shoulders and tried to kiss him. “Stop that.” He pushed her away. 

“I’m trying to kiss my fiancé,” she said with a huff. 

“Jesus Iris. We aren’t engaged anymore. Stop trying so hard. I will always love you, you have been a huge part of my life for so long, but I’m not in love with you Iris. So stop, you are just making yourself look ridiculous. You don’t need to come to STAR labs anymore, we have it covered, especially with Harry back,” he said with a sigh and moved passed her to leave the room. 

“That newspaper says we are meant to be together Barry,” she said bitterly. “I’m not letting you go that easily.”

“Check it again Iris. It doesn’t say that anymore,” he frowned, shaking his head and walked out of the room.

 

* * *

 

Barry walked into Caitlin’s lab to sit down next to her. She had her eyes in a microscope but lifted her head to see him sit. He looked so sad, or at least bothered, but she couldn’t be sure. Things with Iris had to be difficult, especially if she wasn’t accepting that their relationship was over. 

“He look so sad Caity,” Frost said in her head. 

“Are you okay Barry,” she said moving away to sit down to focus on him. 

“I’m…I don’t know what I am. Actually, everything is so different. Here I am, wanting Iris to just let me go, but there was a time I would give anything to be with her,” he sighed. 

“Maybe you should give her a chance?” she asked and she could hear Frost cursing at the suggestion. 

“No. I don’t look at her and feel anything anymore. At least not anything good. I still care about her, but I don’t love her like that anymore,” he said and looked at her. “Cait?” He wanted to ask if he could crash at her place but didn’t know if she’d be okay with it. 

“Yes Barry?” she asked softly. 

“Can I stay at your place? I’ve been sleeping here but it’s not really comfortable and I can’t stay at the loft because Iris still hasn’t moved out,” he said. 

“Of course Barry!” she said grinning. “You can stay as long as you need. Even Frost agrees.” 

“How are things going with the merging idea?” Barry leaned in, his elbows resting on his thighs. He couldn’t help but notice how devoted she had been since he gave her the idea and he was happy she was willing to try but he did miss her. His eyes took her all in, smiling at how beautiful she really was. 

“They are…okay. I don’t really know. I haven’t figured it out yet. I’m starting to think that maybe it will happen if she and I stop fighting each other for dominance over this body, but I would rather it be a permanent thing so I don’t know yet. But I’m not giving up yet! Thank you for the idea,” she said leaning closer to him. 

“I’m happy you are giving it a shot,” he said with a grin and reached out to put a hand over hers. 

Neither of them really noticed Iris watching them from the other side of the glass wall, her arms crossed. She didn’t know how to feel, happy that Barry was happy or angry that it looked like Caitlin was taking Barry from her. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris really isn't getting it and Frost is getting a chance to feel like she's one of them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialogue in part of this chapter is based off a deleted scene I saw.
> 
> I don't own anything. It's all CW!

“Iris, I’m not doing this with you,” Caitlin tried to move around the other woman only to find her way blocked. It had been a week since Barry started sleeping on her couch. Things had progressed and they’d discovered that when they pulled Barry out of the speed force dark matter had come in direct contact with a bus full of people.  They had yet to discover what this all meant but the second meta they had to deal with made things interesting for sure. Caitlin was trying to help Barry find more of the bus metas but now Iris was picking a fight with her. 

“I just want to know what is going on with you two,” Iris said. She stuck around the lab even though everyone told her she could stop, she wasn’t giving Barry up that easily it would seem. She still tried to boss him around, or tell the others what to do, but for the most part unless it actually helped them they just ignored her orders. 

“Nothing. He is my friend. Why can’t you just leave him alone?” Caitlin finally managed to get into her seat to monitor Barry’s vitals. He was currently helping the CCPD with a bank robbery. “Barry, please come back here soon, your ex is about to be a popsicle.” She said into the microphone and sighed back into the seat. 

“Seriously? Threats?” Iris crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you really think that he’ll love you? Please. I see the way you look at him.” She leaned close and smirked. “Pathetic Caitlin still has a crush on him. He’s mine. We are destiny.”

Caitlin didn’t speak. She just sat there staring at Iris. The truth was that Caitlin has been in love with Barry for a very long time. Hearing Iris say that to her, she just felt…angry. Pathetic? She’s the pathetic one. At least Caitlin respected Barry, at least she wanted him to be happy. She stood up slowly, as Frost took over. Iris backed up and wondered if the she’d go through with the threat. 

“You just can’t face facts can you Iris?” Frost said with a smirk on her face. Her hands started getting frosty as she walked around the control panel towards Iris. “I belong here. You don’t. You forced your way on this team while Barry was gone and you didn’t even want to bring him back. You had already moved on. He doesn’t want you anymore and you just have to hold on. It’s sad really. That you think that he’ll change his mind just because you are around.” She lifted her hands and shot a frost blast next to Iris, hitting the Samuroid head that Cisco decided to keep. 

Barry ran in to see Iris cowering on the ground with Frost standing over her. He noticed the Samuroid head busted open on the floor near Frost’s feet. He walked over slowly and slipped his hand into hers. She turned to look at him and Frost melted back and Caitlin let out a shaky breath. 

“She just wouldn’t stop talking, I…I wasn’t going to hurt her,” she started. Iris jumped up and looked livid. 

“Yes you were. Killer Frost was about to kill me!” she screamed. Caitlin started crying, she went to leave, used to needing to hide herself away when she did something wrong.

“Iris, she clearly aimed for the head and not you. And don’t call her Killer Frost anymore. I think Frost is better,” he said and gave Caitlin’s hand a squeeze before letting go to look down at the head in question. 

“I can’t believe you’d believe her over me,” Iris huffed before shoving her shoulder into Caitlin as she left. Cisco and Harry walked in as she passed and they saw Barry as he picked up the busted Samuroid head. 

“What happened to it?” Cisco rushed over, he wanted that to remember fondly when they got Barry back. 

“Frost used it for target practice,” he winked at Cait. “But look, seems like someone is spying on us.” He pulled out the small camera that was hidden in the head. 

“Go Frost!” Cisco said raising his hand for a high-five. Cait couldn’t help but laugh and give him the high-five. This wasn’t the reaction she was expecting at all. She thought that Barry would protect Iris, that he would judge her or at least talk down to her about almost hurting Iris. This was weird but good, better. Cisco took the head and pulled Harry with him to figure out who it is that’s been watching them. 

“Are you okay?” Barry asked now that he was alone with Cait. She sighed and shrugged. “You can talk to me Cait.” He moved closer towards her. 

“I know. I just…” she looked at him. “Last year, you’d have put me in the pipeline without a second thought and now…you defended me and I.” She wiped at her face, the tears falling fast. Barry took her face in his hands and looked down at her. 

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know if I’ll ever really be able to make up for all the pain that I have caused you. That you felt that’s how I would respond…I trust you. Both of you,” his thumbs swiped away the tears on her face. 

Caitlin’s hands were holding onto his arms at his elbows, her stomach was full of butterflies at having him so close. She’d dreamt of him holding her like this for so long that she didn’t know how to feel now that it was happening. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment just so that she could take a breath before looking up at him again. 

“You’ve made up for it many times over already. I can’t thank you enough for making me feel at home again,” she smiled and moved her hands to grip his forearms. Barry didn’t seem to want to move away or let her go but he did, his hands sliding slowly off her face. He didn’t take his eyes off her though. 

“So I was thinking that maybe it’s time that you trained? I mean, we can see what you can do and help teach you how to hold your own when Frost isn’t available,” he put his hands in his pockets. “I mean if you’d like to that is.” He didn’t know why he was so nervous but he knew that she was a part of this team and if Frost was ever going to feel like she mattered, she needed to be shown that she did. Training was just one way he could show her. 

“Okay, I mean I think it would be good to let Frost stay out for a while too, if that’s okay with you,” Cait smiled, feeling excited even in the middle of all that was happening. 

“Yeah that’d be nice,” he smiled. Joe walked in with Iris, who glared at both Caitlin and Barry, but took a seat once again like she was the team leader. 

“Hey Barry,” Joe said and he smiled at Caitlin. 

“Hey Joe, I gotta get to lab. Call me if anything comes up,” he grinned at Cait before running off. Joe looked between the two women, Iris already having told him what happened earlier. He understood why Iris was upset but if Barry trusted Cait then he would too. He tried to tell Iris that if Frost actually wanted to hurt her, she would have. 

“Don’t you have something else to do Caitlin?” Iris said looking smug and bossy. Caitlin just let her eyes change to wait and gave Iris the middle finger before walking off to see how Cisco and Harry were doing. 

 

* * *

 

Barry felt confused as he stood staring at the board of Villians he’d created. Caitlin was upset with him for not giving Ralph a chance. At the time he felt justified, knowing what kind of person Ralph was, but now he wasn’t so sure. It seemed that the Mayor was the dirty one, that Ralph made a choice to try and stop a bad person and Barry was the one that allowed that person to go free, and that maybe Ralph wasn’t a bad guy after all. 

Cisco and Harry hadn’t found the source behind the camera but Cisco had his own thing to deal with and Barry was too busy wondering about what he was going to do next. He heard the footsteps and turned to see Cait walking towards him. 

“I’m sorry for getting so upset with you,” she said and Barry shook his head. 

“No. You were right. I was…I was upset because I judged him. Without understanding him at all. I just assumed that he was dirty and I couldn’t have been more wrong,” he said rubbing his face with his hand. 

“You know, I don’t think not blackmailing the mayor is a very villainy thing to do, do you?” she looked over at him. 

“No it’s not,” he stepped forwards and erased ‘Villians’ and replaced it with ‘Victims’ before stepping back and looking at Cait. 

“Better,” she said with a smile. She put her hand on his arm. “Things are so different now.” She turned to sit down. 

“Different how?” he joined her, pulling a chair over. 

“You aren’t with Iris, Cisco has a girlfriend, and Frost doesn’t feel like she wants to murder anyone…”she smiled. “I think that it’s good that things are different, I just worry that you aren’t happy. Are you happy? I mean without Iris, being back and out of the speed force?” 

“I’m happy, for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like it’s all on me. Or that I can’t handle something. It’s nice to feel like I’m enough to save those that I love. Being in the speed force was hard, and obviously it affected me, but I think it helped me too. To come to terms with what happened to my parents. He reached for her hand. “Thank you for helping Ralph and putting me in my place.” He grinned. “We can all train together, though something tells me Ralph is going to hit on Frost.”

“She is rolling her eyes,” she said with a grin. “I think training will be fun and she’s excited to be a part of the team.” 

“We are excited to have her,” he grinned back at her. “Come on, we can get started early.” He stood up and pulled her to stand. 

Frost took over and grinned at him. “Hey handsome, ready to get beat by a girl?” she hip checked him before sauntering off towards the speed lab where they train. Barry just watched her walk away and laughed. Working with Frost was going to be extremely interesting. He ran passed her to beat her to the lab and laughed when she arrived after him. 

“I suppose you’d have to catch me first to beat me,” he teased. She moved to throw a frost blast at him but he was able to move out of the way, standing behind her. “Missed.” He whispered before moving again. 

“Barry Allen, you aren’t playing fair!” she huffed but there was still a smile on her face. She let herself relax, following the lightening trail behind him to put ice on the floor at the right time to cause him to fall. Suddenly she was hit with a tranq dart and collapsed on the floor. Iris rushed over to Barry. 

“Are you okay? I stopped her. I told you she wasn’t to be trusted,” she moved to help him up but he flashed up and moved to Frost. 

“What is wrong with you?” he yelled to Iris. “We were training. She wasn’t fighting me!” he picked Frost up and flashed her to a bed. He brushed the white hair out of her face and looked down at her. He pulled out the dart and tossed it on the tray that was next to the bed. He felt fiercely protective of both her and Cait. It was weird that she was two people and he found himself caring for both because they were in the same body. 

“Barry!” Iris ran in. “I thought…I mean, she…” Iris looked actually sorry for once. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she needed to stop acting like Cait was the enemy. 

“Don’t. Just go Iris,” he turned to look at her. “I’ve tried to be nice, I’ve tried to be understanding. I don’t love you. Okay. I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want you working on the team. I want you to leave and I don’t want you back here.” He was angry, maybe in time he’d feel differently but it seemed being mean was the only thing he hadn’t really tried. 

“We are the flash Barry, come on,” she reached for him. 

“Iris. You’ve been my family for a very long time, and you’ve always meant so much to me. But you’ve never actually listened to me. So hear me now. Get. Out. And don’t come back. I don’t ever want to see you again,” he waited before turning back to Frost only to see that her eyes were open and she was looking at him. Iris started sobbing and disappeared out the door. 

“You don’t mean that handsome. You should go apologize. Isn’t she the one or whatever?” Frost sat up in the bed. She never really understood how Barry could love someone as selfish as Iris but she probably was just jealous. 

“No, no she’s not,” he said his eyes not leaving her. “Are you okay?” He sat on the bed next to her. 

“Yeah. I’ll live,” she said and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“How about we go home hmm?” he asked. She nodded so he picked her up and flashed them to Cait’s apartment. 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are escalating between Cait and Barry. Finally Iris understands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll really start to see the changes this chapter. Hope you enjoy and Cw owns these characters. Not I.

Ralph wasn’t sure what it was about these people but they sure were weird to him. It was obvious that Barry and Caitlin liked each other but they just danced around it. He wasn’t really good at being a hero, and didn’t even know if he was really cut out for it but he knew that he had to give it a shot. Barry wasn’t his enemy, even if he clearly didn’t have the patience to deal with Ralph. Of course Ralph enjoyed being extra annoying just to tick him off. 

Ralph was sitting in the cortex with Cisco while Barry worked on catching another bus meta before they could hurt anyone else. He asked Cisco about Caitlin and Barry but Cisco just shook his head. 

“No. I mean him and Iris were engaged but after he got out of the speed force they ended things not that long after. Girl was crazy,” Cisco said looking at the screen. 

“Wait they were engaged?” Ralph said at finding out that Iris and Barry used to be together. Cisco was busy trying to pay attention to what Barry was doing and of course Ralph was being distracting as he always was. “But why? There is like zero chemistry there.” He added, shaking his head as he wandered away. 

“You know I can hear you two right?” Barry said with a chuckle. He supposed it was true that they didn’t have chemistry, he could think of plenty of times where she showed more interest in other people than him. He wondered why he couldn’t have seen it sooner. 

It had been a month since Ralph joined the team and the find out about the man behind it all. Barry become obsessed with trying to prove Devoe was faking his illness to a point where he was going to break into his house but Cait talked him out of it. The fact was that they didn’t have any proof despite what Devoe said to Barry. Cait believed him of course but they couldn’t do something that stupid. If he knew the exact location that Barry would leave the speed force and that a bus full of people would be there, the man had to have bigger plans than that. He would most definitely know what they were planning. 

Barry just didn’t like the idea that they had been watched and that they didn’t have control over what was happening. He felt that enough with Iris and her whole destiny thing. She still showed up, still put her two cents in, still tried to pull him aside. He didn’t want to lose her as a friend but he didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to take it. She avoided Cait after what she’d done to Frost and he had given her the cold shoulder pretty much the entire time she was around. It was tense to say the least. 

The only positive thing that seemed to happen was that he was closer to Cait than ever before. He even felt like he was getting closer to Frost, and that was something. He wanted to make sure that Frost knew he was there for her too but he wondered if Cait was ever going to be able to merge them. It wasn’t until he came back from catching the latest bus meta that she pulled him into her office. Iris glaring at them as they smiled at each other. 

“What’s up?”

“Amunet is threatening me, I think she has one of the bus metas. She…she buys and sells metas. When I worked for her one of the things that Frost did was help…take them. I tried to help them escape after but she was smart and I couldn’t help them before they were sold,” she shook her head and Barry put his arms around her. “She’s planning something and I just wanted to tell you.” She looked up at him and he looked down at her. 

“I’m sorry you had to do that, are you going to try and save whoever it is?” he asked as she stepped out of his arms and took a seat. 

“I think I have to try. Frost thinks that it’s at least a good idea. Plus she’ll just send her lackeys after me if I don’t go,” she sighed. “I’m so close to finishing the serum to merge us. Frost thinks it will be better for both of us if I do. This wasn’t the setback I thought I’d be having.” She smiled and he sat down next to her. 

“I imagine you won’t let me help you, so do what you think is best and call me if you need me. Tonight was supposed to be my bachelor party so I’m just going to be lounging on your couch and eating all your food,” he laughed before leaning over to kiss her forehead and leave the room. He trusted Cait and he trusted Frost. They could take care of themselves even if she was prone to getting kidnapped. 

“Everything okay Bar?” Iris asked as he walked out. He stopped and looked at her. 

“We should talk,” he said and she followed him to the time vault. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms against his chest. 

“I’m so glad you wanted to talk,” she said and tried to move towards him. 

“This isn’t a reconciliation Iris. I’m firing you from STAR labs officially. I just wanted to let you know that you are no longer a part of the team and felt doing that in here was better than in front of anyone else. 

“You…wait…I kept this team together when you left us. I deserve to be here!” she yelled. 

“No…no. You kept Wally here, and you pushed around my friends. You don’t have a background in being a superhero, or a scientist. You are a journalist. Go be that. We don’t need you here. I don’t want you here. If you are here then I will grow to hate you Iris and I just…I don’t want to hate you. So please just go,” he pushed off the wall and she moved in front of him. 

“Barry please. I need you okay. I can’t just…I’ve been through so much, everything is so messed up now and…I need this. I don’t understand why you want to push me away or why you want to pretend that we aren’t supposed to be together but don’t give up on us. Please,” she started sobbing and he just felt pity for her. She had always been this amazing person to him. Strong and independent. Someone that he thought he’d always want around but he just couldn’t look at her anymore. 

“If Eddie were here, if he was still alive. Would you love me?” 

“What?” she wiped her face and looked confused. 

“If Eddie was still alive would you love me?” he said again. “Don’t think about it. Just answer the question honestly.”

“No..” she whispered. “No I wouldn’t.” 

“So how can we really be meant to be when I’m just the filler? You don’t want me. I’m the safe choice though. I’m the solid choice but that’s not fair to me. I deserve to be someone’s first choice, not a fill in for who you really want,” he stepped to the side and moved for the door. “Please just go and do something for yourself Iris. Not for destiny or to take my attention but for you.” He left the room feeling hurt but her revelation. It wasn’t that he didn’t already know that but it still hurt to know that he’d been right. That she never really wanted him, she just didn’t want to be alone. He told Cisco he’d be at Cait’s if he needed him and speed off.

 

* * *

 

She found him on her couch, watching Singing in the Rain and looking sorry for himself. She saw Iris say goodbye to everyone and leave. When she’d asked where Barry was, Cisco said he went to her apartment. He didn’t move when she walked in or when she put her keys down. He didn’t move when she kneeled down next to him and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes shifted to hers and she could tell that he’d been crying. She didn’t know what happened when he went to talk to Iris, a part of her thought they might even get back together, but that obviously didn’t happen. 

“I shouldn’t be this upset. I broke up with her but,” he started and Cait shook her head. 

“What happened?” she said and he moved so that she could sit next to him, pulling him closer to hug him. 

“I fired her, well I mean she didn’t really work but I figured that would get rid of her easier but I needed her to understand so I asked her if Eddie was still alive if she would still love me and she said no. And it wasn’t that I didn’t know that already because I did, it just…it hurt to hear her admit it. That she only was with me because he wasn’t alive to be with anymore,” he choked up a little at the end and she rubbed his back as she held onto him. 

“You’ll be okay, you’ll find the right person for you,” she said softly and he pulled back to look at her. They were so close and their eyes locked, he didn’t want to look away. Neither did she. She wanted him so much, to have a moment like this with him, she just didn’t want to take advantage of him when he’s upset over Iris. 

“I think I have,” he whispered before he leaned in and kissed her.

 

* * *

 

Devoe however was having a hard time which was unexpected. Barry was supposed to get married, he was supposed to be able to frame him for his own murder when his body failed him. Caitlin Snow wasn’t supposed to be showing her powers yet. The only things that went on course were when the Meta’s were taken into custody. None of that matters if he can’t get the Flash out of his way. His body was decaying faster than he anticipated. His wife was starting to lose faith in him and he could see her pulling away. Would this all be for nothing?

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Caitlin talk and Devoe may still be a cillian, or maybe he has help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all of you who have commented or read this story. Sorry for the delay between posting chapters and that this one isn’t that long. Also don’t hate me, because this won’t go the way you think it will. I promise.

She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes darting between his trying to understand what had just happened. She’d thought about what it would be like to kiss him for so long, since Hannibal Bates had looked like him and kissed her in fact, but here they were and she was at a loss. She turned a bit from him and he was worried that he made a mistake. He didn’t want to lose her as a friend, if that was all she wanted. But he knew that she was someone that he wanted to be with, the signs had all been there he was just too blind to see them. Iris was a light that shined brighter than most which made seeing the truth about her all that much more difficult.

“I’m sorry,” he started and Caitlin just shook her head. “Cait?”

“Don’t apologize Barry,” she smiled at him and reached out for his hand. “But are you sure that this is what you want? I mean…I know that things with Iris are over but –.” She didn’t want him to change his mind later. She wanted him to be sure but he cut her off.

“I wouldn’t have kissed you Cait if I didn’t want to,” he said simply. He gave her hand a squeeze and then pulled her close to put an arm around her. “After ending things with Iris, I just thought about a lot of things. Hell I was thinking about things before I ended it but…what I realizes is that I’ll always have you because you are…you. You are selfless and wonderful. You have been with me since the beginning and even after I treated you the way I did. You still came back.” He looked over at her. 

“You’re one of my best friends Barry. Of course I’d come back,” she started. 

“But it’s not just that. I had a crush on you for a while actually.  But Ronnie came back and I figured that you deserved to have him back. I knew how much you missed him and then Iris started to show interest and I just figured that you and I weren’t meant to be,” he shrugged. “But when I was in the speed force, as I was leaving. I missed you, missed that you weren’t there to say good bye to and that I may never see you again. It was why when I saw you, even when I was crazy, I smiled because you were there.” He turned his head and kissed her forehead. “We can do this however you want, even if you don’t. I just wanted you to know how I feel about you, before I missed my chance.”

Cait just looked at him, amazed that he really was sorry for how he treated her that he even thought about her in the mix of everything that happened after. She let her arm lift and rest against his stomach. She closed her eyes and she took that moment to breathe him in, hold onto him. 

“I don’t want to spend all our time with all the what-ifs. We should take it slow and I certainly don’t think we should go around announcing it to everyone just yet but, I do want this…with you,” she lifted her head to kiss him again. He didn’t hesitate to return it, only pulling back when he felt her lips go cold against his own. 

“Hey there Frostie,” he said with a small grin. 

“Hey there handsome. Finally got your head out of her ass hmm?” she laughed. Frost would never admit it right away but Barry meant so much to her for so many reasons. Knowing that he wanted them too, that was amazing to even her. 

“Yes I did,” he grinned. “Now how was rescuing the meta from Amunet?” 

“Right to business I see,” she huffed. “Fine. Turns out she had a couple. Could only do so much ya know?” 

“Alright well we’ll have to keep an eye out for those two meta’s we don’t want Devoe getting to them if we can prevent it,” he sighed. “I know that you all aren’t really believing that Devoe is the guy but I promise he is. He’s got a lot of people fooled but –.“ he felt her put her hand to his mouth to stop him. 

“We trust you Barry. If you say he’s the guy, then he’s the guy. Simple as that okay?” Cait was back and he just let out a sigh of relief and pulled her in for another hug. How could he not already love this woman?

 

* * *

 

 

Devoe wasn’t able to continue the realization that he wasn’t going to win, that events had changed somehow when Barry Allen returned from the Speed Force that he hadn’t been aware of. He knew that his plan had failed and his body was going to fail him too. There were metas out in the world now that he helped create and as much as he wanted to continue his plan he knew that he didn’t have what he needed to do that. He was going to die and there was nothing that he could do about it. He looked up just as a red streak of lightening passed his house and a man in yellow stood before him. 

“I think that you and I can help each other,” the man said, his voice vibrating as he spoke. “How does a little time traveling sound to you?”

Devoe couldn’t believe his luck. The reverse flash standing there offering him a chance to make this right. To get what he wanted. “What’s in it for you?”

“Oh I get to ruin Barry Allen’s perfect little life, that’s payment enough for me,” he smiled as he pulled the mask off of his face. Eobard Thawne wanted revenge, plain and simple. He would get it, no matter the cost. Barry Allen changed the timeline without even realizing it when he chose Caitlin Snow over Iris West. 

“How do you manage that? Force him to pick Ms. West?” 

“Take Caitlin out of the equation completely, and he won’t even see it as being forced. We’ll go back to after he comes out of the Speed Force but we’ll make sure that Ms. Snow isn’t around for him to consider an option,” Thawne said with a grin. “Don’t worry, you won’t remember this conversation but I’ll fix this for you.” He sped off and went back in time to the day that Barry came out of the Speed Force. He just had to nab her before they found Barry. Easy right?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timeline is changed but does Reverse Flash win this time? Are Iris and Barry really meant to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a bit, but I appreciate all the support and continued comments on this fic!

Caitlin’s head throbbed, she could hear Frost in her head telling her what she remembered. The sound of footsteps caused her to turn her head to the sound. She was in a cage of sorts, bars were all her eyes to could make out until the owner of the footsteps came closer. His yellow suit wasn’t one she’d ever forget. Cisco had only just asked for her help in getting Barry out of the speed force and she missed the scarlet speedster so much that she felt like she had no choice but to get him out. They had tried, and she’d even faced the wrath of Iris only for it to seemingly not work. 

“What do you want?” she asked, trying to sit up feeling nauseous. Probably had a concussion. Great. 

“Just making sure that the future goes according to plan,” he said. He had on Harrison Wells’ face and she was sure he did it to make this harder on her. What he didn’t know was that Caitlin wasn’t the same person that she had been. She wouldn’t say that she’d come to terms with Frost but she felt that at least they weren’t trying to get rid of each other anymore and that was something. 

“What the hell does that mean?” 

“Well if I don’t you that, it wouldn’t come true would it?” he grinned. He stood there, taunting her with the face of a man she had once admired. 

“I don’t even understand. I’m not with them anymore. I haven’t talked to them in months and Barry is still stick in the speed force. Why do you need me?” she tried. It was a lie but she didn’t know how much he knew. 

“Oh really? So didn’t try this morning?” he tilted his head and stared at her. Damn it. 

“It didn’t work,” she said sadly. 

“Are you sure about that?” he grinned again. “But you won’t be there when they find him. He’ll think that you abandoned him when he needed you and they’ll all be too busy with him to worry about little old Caitlin Snow.” He laughed before speeding away. 

She didn’t know how to feel but she wasn’t about to let that pathetic man keep her from Barry Allen. She stood up, feeling stronger, letting Frost come out just a little bit to help heal her head. 

_ “We’ll get back to him Caity,” _ Frost said in her head. 

“I know,” Caitlin said back. She let Frost out completely. “You know what to do.” She said in Frost’s head. 

“Do I ever,” Frost said with a smile before she walked up to the bars and started to freeze them. “Men get so cocky when they think we are weak don’t they?” she said with a smirk. She kicked the frozen bars until they broke, formed two ice knives and headed after the Reverse Flash. 

 

* * *

 

Cisco had called Caitlin so many times that her voicemail was full. He knew that something was wrong but he didn’t know who he could talk to about it. Iris wouldn’t care that Caitlin was missing. Joe would be more concerned with Barry who was sitting in a cell because they didn’t know what else to do with him. 

The only person that ever cared, besides himself, about Caitlin being missing was Barry. He had to try, maybe he could get through to him. He ran down to where they were keeping him. 

“Barry,” he said. “It’s Caitlin. Something is wrong. She was supposed to be with us, she helped bring you back but she’s…missing. Can’t you just snap out of it? Please?” 

Barry didn’t move, suddenly Joe was coming through yelling about Iris being taken by the samurai because she wanted to snap Barry out of his funk. Cisco really hoped that Barry would save Caitlin, but he knew that Barry loved Iris and she was the one that he was supposed to marry. Her name was on that stupid piece of paper and it very well may mean that she means more to him than anyone else. 

He blinked and Barry was gone. He looked at Joe and they both ran to the cortex. 

“Holy crap he’s going faster than he’s ever gone before,” Cisco breathed.

“He’s not going for Iris, where is he going?” Joe yelled frustrated. It was clear that Barry was searching for something and it wasn’t Iris West. Cisco wasn’t about to be the one to tell Joe what Barry was doing so he just shrugged. 

“I’m sure he’s just got some crossed wires still,” he said trying to be slightly reassuring. Cisco just grinned realizing that his friend wasn’t lost to them after all. 

 

* * *

 

Frost had found Eobard Thawne, yelling at a computer screen. She could see that Barry was back, being tracked by the Reverse Flash. 

“Damn it why aren’t you going after Iris!!” he yelled at the screen. 

“Maybe he realized she’s just not his type?” Frost snarked before she shot a blast of ice at the speedster causing him to fly into his screen. 

“This isn’t supposed to be happening,” he said, getting up. It was clear he was going to run off and she wasn’t about to let him go back into the past again. 

“Oh no you don’t,” she said as she slammed her hand on his chest and started to freeze him. When he was unable to move she didn’t waste any time and kicked him at the knees. He’d have to wait at least a couple of hours before he’d be able to walk again. She pushed him until he fell over, shivering before she sat on his chest and looked down at him. “So this is the big bad Reverse Flash?” She snorted. “I’m not impressed.” 

“Cait!” she heard behind her and turned to see the Flash himself looking at her. She wasn’t stupid enough to let her guard down completely so she let Caity come out enough to reassure the flash. 

“Barry,” she said with a smile. “Are you okay?”

“Is that?” he looked down at his enemy, the one he let get away. 

“Don’t worry handsome. I broke his knees. He’s not going anywhere. Think you should zip him into the pipeline?” Frost was back. 

“I have to go save Iris…” he started. 

“Oh right of course you do. Love of your life and all,” Frost rolled her eyes. She could feel Caity’s pain. 

“I don’t know about that. She did it on purpose. She let herself be taken just to get my attention but…it was Cisco telling me you were missing that got my attention. I see you got Frost though so you really didn’t need me did you?” he said smiling. 

The fact was that everything got so messed up before. He’d put the needs of Iris over the team. He’d let her think that there was something wrong with her and he couldn’t stand it when he thought back on it. Being stuck in the speed force, everything was hard to piece together but he did a lot of reflecting and he was more than sure that he had made so many mistakes. He didn’t want to ever push her or Cisco away and choose anyone over them. Even Iris. 

“Well I dunno about that. How about you go get Iris and I’ll have some fun here,” Frost waggled her eyebrows. 

“There is that. But I think Cisco would rather see you home. So how about I take you both with me, dump him off, get Iris and you’ll be back on the team. The both of you,” he made a point of saying, putting a hand on her shoulder.  

“Really?” she looked so hopeful. Her eyes welled up just a little

“Can’t do it without the two of you,” he grinned. “Dr. Snow and Frost. I need you.” He meant it. 


End file.
